His mind remained in the dark void of the dream.
Or rather, what he now knew was not a dream.
Su Vaen opened his eyes, but his vision was still shrouded in eternal darkness. He had long accepted it—he didn't need sight to navigate the world. Yet, this time, something felt different.
He sat up, clutching his forehead as a wave of memories flooded in.
The General. A dragon unlike any Origin Beast. A being beyond mortal comprehension.
The truth of the world.
His breathing slowed as the revelations settled in. His world—the vast land he had always known as the Primordial Continent, the heart of civilization—was not the pinnacle of existence. It was merely a Peak Rank 4 world.
In the grand scale of the universe, worlds had ranks, determining their power, resources, and limitations. His world was bound by invisible laws, restricting cultivation to a mere Early Rank 5 ceiling—no one could surpass it.
Those at the peak of power—the so-called High-Level Gods believed they had reached the ultimate realm of existence.
They were wrong.
Beyond this world, beyond this sky, greater realms existed. Realms where power surpassed imagination. Realms where beings could crush Gods with a mere thought.
And above them all, ruling over the infinite dimensions, stood the UEU. Undying Exalted Union.
A vast, inter-dimensional empire governing countless worlds. It was they who dictated which civilizations could ascend, which ones would remain bound by their world's laws.
And they had no interest in Su Vaen's world.
To them, this world was insignificant, its people nothing more than insects fighting over crumbs.
Su Vaen exhaled.
This was the truth.
He clenched his fists, feeling the new energy coursing through him Tenebris Energy.
General had called it the path to true power, an energy unrestricted by this world's limitations. It could transform into any energy, allowing him to disguise it as Origin Qi if needed.
However, it came at a cost.
By accepting it, his previous cultivation had been wiped away. His body had regressed to Rank 1 in the Tenebris Energy Path, meaning he was no stronger than a stage one Qi Refining cultivator.
Yet, this was only the beginning.
If he followed the Tenebris Energy Path, he could surpass Rank 5—surpass the false limits of this world.
But at what cost?
A bitter smile crept onto his lips. He had agreed to conquer this world, to become a captain under General's army. But was he merely a pawn now? Would he trade one set of chains for another?
His mind wavered.
Did it matter?
He was already a forgotten existence. If he perished, his clan would not even mourn him. The noble families would continue their power struggles, oblivious to the truth. The world would remain chained. The price his mother paid for this world ; to think just for them, this world only to be a peak rank 4 world.
Unless he changed it.
He slowly exhaled, his doubts melting into cold determination. He had chosen this path. There was no turning back now.
His life had changed forever.
But for now, he would play along until the time came to reshape this world himself.